Judge Mary Ellen Coghlan Date Admitted to the Bar:  Illinois – 1981 Legal Experience:  1981-82, Coghlan, Joyce, Kukankos & D’Arcy; 1982-87, assistant public defender, Cook County; 1987-95, assistant  Illinois attorney general, Chicago. Judicial Experience:  In March 1995, Coghlan was appointed as a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County.  She was elected as a Circuit Court Judge in November, 1996.  Judge Coghlan served in the Criminal Division from 1995 until 2003, when she was transferred to the Probate Division, where she currently serves. Memberships:  Illinois Judges Association Birth Place:  Chicago, Illinois Education:  High School:  Mother McAuley Liberal Arts.  Undergraduate:  University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.  Law School:  DePaul University College of Law